1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to archery targets and, more particularly, to archery targets of the silhouette type. Although the target of the present invention is described in relation to archery, it will be appreciated that the principles of the invention apply equally to darts and other sports in which a projectile is hurled or otherwise projected against a target.
2. The Prior Art
Silhouette shooting is an international firearms sport employing targets configured in the form of silhouettes of animals. These targets are generally fabricated by cutting out the desired silhouette shape from steel and welding the silhouette to a flat plate which forms a base. The base holds the target upright until the silhouette is struck by a bullet which causes the entire assembly to fall or topple over.
There is a current interest in silhouette target shooting for archery. However, since the impact from a bow-launched arrow is considerably less than that produced by a bullet shot from a gun, an archery silhouette target must be made to fall over in response to a smaller impacting force than is the case for a firearm silhouette target. Unfortunately, silhouette targets which are sensitive enough for archery use are also susceptible to toppling from wind. In addition, wind tends to turn the target so that it does not face flush toward the archer. The force required to topple the target is a function of the angle at which the arrow strikes the target, the arrow having its greatest effect when it strikes the target perpendicularly. Unless the target can resist turning in the wind, uniform scoring and standards cannot be established.
It is also a desirable feature, as yet unachieved in archery silhouette targets, that the impact required to topple the target be adjustable in a uniform manner so that national and international standards may be established.